Manitoba Health will cover medically-necessary, land ambulance inter-facility transports when the patient is being transported between designated health-care facilities for diagnostic tests or treatment, or from a more specialized level of care to another facility closer to home for rehabilitation or recovery.

the patient must be a resident of Manitoba with a valid Manitoba Health card,

the patient must medically require transportation by ambulance as determined by a physician, and

the patient is being transferred between designated health-care facilities for diagnostic tests or treatment, or from a more specialized level of care to another facility closer to home for rehabilitation or recovery.

Consistent with practices in many other provinces, patients will still be responsible for emergency ambulance transportation costs. These costs may be covered by other insurance coverage. First- or third-party insurers will continue to cover these services for their clients. Examples of first- or third-party insurers include the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, National Defence, the Worker's Compensation Board and Manitoba Public Insurance.

Out of Province Transport of Manitobans

If you require an ambulance while out of the Province there are no subsidies/coverage from the Manitoba government. You will be charged by the ambulance service/company that provides the service at full cost recovery. The rate for out of province ambulance service may be substantially higher than rates charged local residents, as local subsidies will not apply.

A Manitoba ambulance may transport you if you require routine medical care in a bordering province to a neighbouring provincial facility. Ambulance costs would be billed at local Manitoba rates.

Manitoba Physicians in border areas should be aware that referrals to neighbouring provinces may have significant financial consequences to you, the patient. Should the physician in the bordering hospital elect to refer you for specialized care within that province, you would be subject to the full cost recovery fee charged by that Province at a non-resident rate for transport. Transportation costs from out of province hospitals are not an insured service.

Air Ambulance Transfers

Air ambulance transfers may be an insured service in one of three ways:

Patients meeting the acuity requirements for transportation under the Manitoba Lifeflight Air Ambulance program are fully insured for the air component of the transport but are responsible for all costs associated with land ambulance transport to and from the airport